Abstract: The present invention is directed to a membrane for aromatics separation that is stable in an alcohol containing environment. The polymeric membrane is a epoxy amine based membrane.

Abstract: A fuel management system mounted on a vehicle is operative to feed individually or a mixture of grades of relatively low, intermediate, and high autoignition temperature fuels to an associated internal combustion engine. The system includes an on board separation unit (OBS unit) for receiving and separating intermediate autoignition temperature (IAT) fuel into low and high autoignition temperature fuels, LAT and HAT, respectively. The production rate of the LAT and HAT fuels by the OBS unit is controlled to substantially match the consumption requirements of the engine at any given time for the LAT and HAT fuels.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in the process of producing energy from fuel cells. A cyclic reforming process, referred to as temperature swing reforming, provides an efficient means for producing a hydrogen containing synthesis gas for use in proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell applications. In one embodiment, at least some synthesis gas which is first produced in the temperature swing reforming process is combusted with air to provide the heat for the regeneration step of the temperature swing reforming process. The syngas produced in TSR is particularly well suited for use in proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Abstract: A process for synthesizing the porous crystalline material ITQ-12 is disclosed and employs an organic directing agent having the formula: where n is an integer from 1 to 3 and Q? is an anion. The resultant ITQ-12 is useful in as a catalyst in chemical conversion reactions and as an adsorbent for gas separation.

Abstract: The overall efficiency of a regenerative bed reverse flow reactor system is increased where the location of the exothermic reaction used for regeneration is suitably controlled. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the combustion to improve the thermal efficiency of bed regeneration in a cyclic reaction/regeneration processes. The process for thermal regeneration of a regenerative reactor bed entails (a) supplying the first reactant through a first channel means in a first regenerative bed and supplying at least a second reactant through a second channel means in the first regenerative bed, (b) combining said first and second reactants by a gas mixing means situated at an exit of the first regenerative bed and reacting the combined gas to produce a heated reaction product, (c) passing the heated reaction product through a second regenerative bed thereby transferring heat from the reaction product to the second regenerative bed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating power with a gas turbine which utilizes pressure swing reforming under conditions that facilitate CO2 capture. First a synthesis gas stream at a first pressure is produced in a pressure swing reformer. Next the synthesis gas stream is subjected to a high temperature water gas shift process to produce a CO2 containing hydrogen enriched stream from which hydrogen and CO2 each are separated. The separated hydrogen in turn is combusted with air to produce a gas turbine and the separated CO2 is easily sequestered.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for detecting an abnormal event for process units of a Polymers Unit. The method compares the operation of the process units to statistical, engineering or heuristic models. The statistical models are developed by principle components analysis of the normal operation for these units. In addition, the engineering models are based on correlation analysis between variables or simple engineering calculations. If the difference between the operation of a process unit and the normal model result indicates an abnormal condition, then the cause of the abnormal condition is determined and corrected.

Abstract: The present invention is devoted to an analytical method for directly determining carbon number and molecular weight distributions of isoparaffin mixtures. The analytical means uses low in-scan emitter-current field-ionization mass spectroscopy to substantially reduced or eliminated molecular ion fragmentation for isoparaffins, which allows direct measurement of isoparaffin molecular ions for their distributions. The analytical means is capable of directly characterizing isobutane to C50+ isoparaffins, covering naphtha to gas oil ranges.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new methods of making crystalline materials isostructural to ITQ-21, as well as to new crystalline materials obtainable by such methods, and their use in hydrocarbon conversion processes.

Abstract: The present invention is a method to determine the composition of a hydrocarbon feedstream from a small sample of hydrocarbons including the steps analyzing the sample with a combination of chromatograph and mass spectrometer, and reconciling output from step a) with other analytical measurements to determine to determine the composition of the hydrocarbon feedstream.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for operating a rapid cycling pressure swing adsorption (RCPSA) having a cycle time, T, to separate a feed gas into a non-adsorbed gas and tail gas. The method includes the steps of passing the feed gas having a purity of F % at high pressure into a first end of a bed which selectively adsorbs the tail gas and passes the product gas out a second end of the bed for a time, F. The product gas has a purity, P %, and a rate of recovery of R %. Then the bed is cocurrently depressurized for a time, tCO, followed by countercurrently depressurizing the bed for a time, tCN. The bed is then purged for a time, tP, wherein desorbate (tail gas) is released at the first end of the bed at a pressure greater than 30 psig, Subsequently the bed is repressurized for a duration, tRP. R>80%, P/F?1.1 or R?90%, 0<P/F <1.1.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and system of measuring alteration, alteration type, and alteration-causing species in process fluids and equipment and for controlling the process feeds and conditions to maximize the yields and equipment lifetime by minimizing the alteration. The invention includes an optical sensor comprising an optical fiber, a fiber grating written within the optical fiber, strain-tuned elements fixed to the optical fiber and an unaltered element, and an altered element fixed to the unaltered element.

Abstract: A process for the selective hydrodesulfurization of olefinic naphtha streams containing a substantial amount of organically-bound sulfur and olefins. The olefinic naphtha stream is selectively desulfurized in a hydrodesulfurization reaction stage. The hydrodesulfurized effluent stream is separated into a light and heavy liquid fraction and the heavier fraction is further processed in a mercaptan destruction reaction stage to reduce the content of mercaptan sulfur in the final product.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in the process of producing energy from fuel cells. A cyclic reforming process, referred to as temperature swing reforming, provides an efficient means for producing a hydrogen containing synthesis gas for use in solid oxide fuel cell applications. In one embodiment, at least some synthesis gas which is first produced in the temperature swing reforming process is combusted with air to provide the heat for the regeneration step of the temperature swing reforming process. The syngas produced in TSR is particularly well suited for use in solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to emulsion compositions for starting a reformer of a fuel cell system. In particular, the invention includes emulsion compositions comprising hydrocarbon fuel, water and alkoxylated alcohol surfactants for starting a reformer of a fuel cell system.

Abstract: This invention is a data processing/visualization method which includes the software development and operation to apply to any multi-dimensional separation. The GC-MS analysis of diesel is an example to demonstrate this software development and operation. The steps of this method includes (1) displaying the total ion chromatogram obtained from a GC-MS experiment, (2) displaying each mass spectrum versus retention time, (3) selecting a normal paraffin family as the reference compound family for relative polarity display, (4) transforming every mass slice to line-up normal paraffin compound family in the same relative retention time (position), (5) rotating the axis to best display the two (multi) dimensional data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing severely sterically hindered secondary amine ether alcohols and diamine polyalkenyl ethers by reacting a primary amino compound with a polyalkenylether glycol in the presence of a high activity nickel powder hydrogenation catalyst which is marked by high conversion of reactants and increased selectivity to desired final product.

Abstract: Severely sterically hindered secondary aminoether alcohols are prepared by reacting an organic carboxylic acid or alkali metal salt of an organic carboxylic acid with a sulfonyl halide, a sulfuryl halide, a mixed sulfuryl ester halide or a mixed sulfuryl amide halide to yield a sulfonic-carboxylic anhydride compound which is then reacted with a dioxane to cleave the ring of the dioxane, yielding a cleavage product which cleavage product is then aminated with an alkylamine and hydrolyzed with base to yield the severely sterically hindered secondary aminoether alcohol.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for detecting an abnormal event for process units of an ethylene processing system. The method compares the operation of the process units to a model developed by principal components analysis of normal operation for these units. If the difference between the operation of a process unit and the normal operation indicates an abnormal condition, then the cause of the abnormal condition is determined and corrected.

Abstract: The present invention is a method to determine the cetane number of a diesel fuel containing a fatty acid alkyl ester including determining the infrared spectrum of the fuel and correlating the spectrum to the cetane number using a multivariate-based Mid-FTIR model. The fatty acid alkyl ester may be rapeseed methyl ester and the infrared spectrum includes the frequency ranges 4900-3500 cm?1 and 2200-1624 cm?1 or the frequency ranges 4900-3500 cm?1 2200-1800 cm?1 and 1700-1624 cm?1.